Ridgeview Place: A Journey in Housing for Adults with Developmental Disabilities at Lake Chelan

Ridgeview Place is a home and a lifestyle for adults with developmental disabilities that was just completed at Lake Chelan. It is a place for people with special needs that is a home of their very own where they can live independent, productive, and fulfilling lives. It is fun being at Ridgeview, and being included in all the activities that make up Chelan, while being secure and tending to the residents’ special needs. The lifestyle provides meaningful work, lifelong learning opportunities, and the ability to enjoy all the recreational activities of the Lake Chelan valley and beyond.

Ridgeview is designed to break the common assumptions about housing for these very special that most see as a given. Life here is active, abundant and lots of fun.

We are parents of a 23 year old special needs son. What we want for our son is for him to have a fulfilling life, surrounded with peers who are close friends and family in an environment where he is challenged and supported to achieve his own goals.

With that in mind, during the past several years we researched living arrangements for special needs adults in Central Washington and beyond. As you might expect if you know other families with special needs members, the people we met have been extremely supportive and willing to share their advice, the challenges they face and what works well for them.

Financial sustainability of lifestyles for people with special needs is a big challenge. We want our son to be secure and more than comfortable well after we may no longer be around to provide for him. A goal at Ridgeview Place is for it, and the residents, to be financially sustainable completely on their own no matter what becomes of outside support. The environment allows our residents to thrive with an abundant lifestyle and minimal possible concern to changing priorities of government or relying on others’ charity.

Here is a place where a team of friends, a family of sorts, can share their lives. Our motivation is simply to create the best lifestyle possible for our son.

A really great room!!

This is the first home catering to residents with special needs in what we believe is an ideal place, the Lake Chelan valley. The Chelan area has adopted our son. He is included in events and is a celebrity around town. More people know me as his parent than otherwise. Chelan is a big part of both why and how we know we can create a fully inclusive lifestyle for our son at Ridgeview Place.

We see a big part of having a meaningful life is having a productive life with opportunities for work that society also rewards as productive. We started a company that employs the residents of Ridgeview Place in meaningful, lucrative, and fun work that provides a substantial income. The company is owned by the residents and the work environment can be tailored to their interests and needs. There are productive activities for all skill levels of folks in a company that is designed to be able to provide fun, social, and meaningful work.

What and Where:

Residents at Ridgeview Place own their home. It is a single family home that is shared by its co-owners. The environment includes full-time care to assist the residents with their long-term needs while fostering their independence. Come and experience the can do atmosphere, high-quality care, and a fun and fulfilling lifestyle.

Lake Chelan is the ideal location for Ridgeview Place. An easy 15 to 20 minute stroll from downtown, the home is located in the City of Chelan. Bus lines are also close by. Chelan has its own amenities, including a friendly, small town environment where neighbors know and care for one another. It encourages a healthy lifestyle with 300 days of sunshine and many outdoor recreation activities year round. People know each other, greet each other and look after each other in Chelan. We like that.

Additionally, Lake Chelan is beautiful. North Central Washington is a recreational playground and a place of natural wonders. Chelan itself is one of Washington’s most desired vacation spots and highly desirable for retirees. There is no better spot for the families of residents to gather and spend time together.

What is happening now:

Construction is now essentially complete (I think there is always a “list”).

On the vocational side, the company associated with Ridgeview Place, Lakeline LLC, began shipping products in late May of 2015 and is profitable and thriving.

What we are looking for:

We are seeking other families who have a special needs person in their lives that may want to reside at Ridgeview Place. Now is the time for people to take a look what we are building, learn about the opportunity and investigate whether it is a fit for their family.

If you are interested in learning more about Ridgeview Place, contact: Al Lorenz.